Oslo, February 7, 2019
The recent Proof of Mechanism shown for CRX demonstrates the dynamic properties of this product obstructing both of the well-known virus entry mechanisms CCR5 and CXCR4 in a way that prevents the virus from evading the blockage through escape mutations. The product CRX constitutes the 3rd of the three cornerstones of Bionor’s HIV program acting in conjunction with Vacc-4x and Vacc- C5. Each one of these three cornerstones addresses problems that are beyond the control of antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART is the standard therapy of today and acts by “silencing” the infection through a chemical pressure on the virus but it does not actively stimulate the immune system to combat and resist HIV so that the virus can be eliminated and reservoirs drained. With ART, any virus that escapes the chemical pressure can stir up the immune system and infect new cells. Nor can inflammation be effectively controlled by ART which is a serious concern in today´s clinical practice.
“With CRX on board the Bionor HIV platform opens up opportunities to block virus uptake, counteract inflammation, drain virus reservoirs and arrest propagation of HIV. It has the potential to become a game-changer in HIV treatment”, says Per Bengtsson the CMO of Bionor.
In summary, CRX interferes with the HIV entry mechanisms necessary for the infectivity and propagation of HIV. Therapies that effectively block the entry mechanisms will profoundly change the management of HIV as demonstrated by the spectacular cure of the “Berlin patient”. This patient received a bone marrow transplant with a specific mutation on the T-cells that made them resistant to HIV uptake and infection. With this mutation on his new T-cells, the patient could stop taking antiretroviral medicines (ART). This observation has spurred the hopes for a functional cure of HIV.
“With the combined innovations coming out of Bionor, going forward, we have good reasons to be optimistic about the long-awaited functional HIV cure”, says Bionor’s CEO Birger Sørensen.